Dr. Charles Novak

The program development Richland Community College saw in the 1990s shaped where the college is today, and it all began because of Dr. Charles Novak. Dr. Novak became president of Richland Community College in 1989 when he moved back to Illinois, his home state, from Missouri. "The college had wonderful baccalaureate programs for the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees, but we did not have many technical programs at all,” he said. The goal from that point was to find a way to bring more technical programs to the college, leading to a 1995 referendum. A large campaign, led by Dr. Novak, went door-to-door in nearly every area of Richland’s district and the referendum passed with over 70 percent of the vote. Later on during his time as president, he oversaw the genesis of Richland’s nursing program and construction of projects like the Schrodt Health Education center and the Industrial Technology Center. His time as president concluded in 2001, leaving an indelible mark on the Richland community.

However, Dr. Novak’s impact on Richland did not conclude there. Richland was in need of an interim president in 2016, and Dr. Novak answered the call to lead the college through the Illinois budget impasse. He made tough decisions, but laid important groundwork for president Dr. Cris Valdez to succeed when he began in mid-2016. Dr. Novak has also been a staunch advocate for all community colleges, lobbying local lawmakers to support the Illinois Community College Board, working as a consultant for other community colleges, and authoring a book about effective community college leadership.